Fall Apart Today
by Nina.4444
Summary: How the hell it had come to this nobody knew. Ariadne/Arthur, Eames Arthur friendship. Hope you like it :)
1. Chapter 1

**Fall Apart Today**

**Chapter one**

"Please tell me you've got something Arthur" Eames groaned as he dragged his chair across the wooden floor before slumping down into it in front of the desk that Arthur was using. The point man looked up a dark expression on his face but Eames could see the exhaustion in his focused eyes. He had waited for Arthur to return to the house he currently owned the night before – he never had. He wondered if he'd gotten any sleep.

"Yes I do" Arthur said pushing a file across the table towards Eames who picked it up, raising an eyebrow. He knew that the folder had been almost empty the day before. There was no way the point man had gotten any sleep.

"So what do you think?"

"Best to forge the boyfriend. She's pushed her husband away for years she's not going to open up to him, nobody else knows about the affair" Arthur's words were crisp and matter of fact and Eames nodded his eyes taking in the photographs.

"Okay" Eames nodded and looked back to Arthur. The man ignored him for a moment his pen scratching across the paper. But Eames never one to back down simply folded a leg over his left knee and leaned back. He could wait. And he would.

"Mr. Eames is there anything else" he had known that Arthur hadn't been in a good mood when he stepped into the old house that the current team was using. He'd seen his furrowed brows and the numerous coffee cups that were littering the room.

When Eames didn't answer Arthur finally looked up and met his gaze and for a moment held it forcefully, willing the forger to leave. Eames simply raised an eyebrow,

"Anything wrong gentlemen?" both men snapped their heads towards the voice to the right of them. He was an older man, graying hair, an extractor Arthur had once before worked with.

"No" Arthur said simply and Jacobson, as Eames had been introduced the week before, nodded looking hesitant at Arthur before turning on his heels and heading back for his own desk. Eames wondered how much Jacobson recognised Arthur as the point man he had worked for almost four years before. Arthur was ever the professional, and no one would know what had gone on in the last several years, unless they had been told or had been there – as William Eames had.

The forger stood once more his fingers gripping the back of the chair and he waited until Jacobson was well out of earshot,

"Arthur?" his voice was quiet and soft and the last thing he wanted was to set off the very short temper the normally calm and collected point man was infamous for.

"No change Eames, I would have told you otherwise" Arthur muttered and his tone was one of finality. This time Eames took his cue heading back to his own desk folder in his hand, dragging the chair behind him. He sighed as he sat feeling his own exhaustion set in.

They worked for several more hours and Eames got lost in the documents of Thomas Lewis, rich son of Hilton enterprises – and apparently toy boy for the 'respectable' Katherine Michaels.

"I'm ready to run through the first level whenever you're ready Eames" he looked up his gaze landing on the woman across the room who was holding a Stanley knife, her left index finger wrapped in a band aid that hadn't been there that morning. He nodded catching Arthur's fingers tighten around his pen and his forehead crease even more as Eames moved to the architects side and she launched into an explanation of the cardboard structures in front of her.

It was five minutes later that Eames eyes were drawn upwards from where he inspected the building in front of him hearing Arthur's chair scrape against the floor as it was pushed back. The point man reached for his suit jacket slipping into before he was striding across the room.

"Lunch" was all that was heard before the door was closed and Arthur was gone. There was silence for a long beat before Eames heard Jacobson sigh. His attention was stolen only seconds later when the young woman sighed as well,

"He doesn't like me very much does he?" her voice was uneasy and Eames grimaced looking down at her,

"It's not that he doesn't like you. He just…he's got a lot going on right now" she nodded her eyes downcast as she swept her fingers across the desk sending the shreds of cardboard to the ground.

"But he can do this job right Eames?" Jacobson asked joining the conversation his voice serious,

"Of course" Eames replied easily throwing the man an assuring smile,

"You know Arthur" he said comfortably before pulling the PASIV up and offering a chair for their architect to sit down in. It was only as he was sliding the needle into his own vein that he thought of the well dressed man and wondered if even Arthur recognised himself anymore.

* * *

Three days later small fingers were on his wrist and Eames blinked slowly letting his eyes clear.

"Mr Eames, very impressive. Thank you for your help, I'd be very glad to work with you in the future." Eames pulled his body out of the chair, happily back in his own skin. He offered Jacobson a smile and nodded his thanks before the extractor moved to the door slipping out into the crowded hallways.

His eyes found Katherine Michaels as she lay peacefully on the couch but frowned a moment later realising he had been left with the two women,

"Where's Arthur?" he asked sharply as he observed the young woman replacing the needle she'd pulled from his wrist.

"He left, he had a missed call when we woke up. He was pretty angry and left once Jacobson was awake" Eames bit down on his tongue to stop the curse that was on the tip.

"Did he say anything, where he was going? Name anything?" Eames asked quickly feeling panic stir. She shook her head,

"No I'm sorry, he left pretty quickly" Eames sighed nodding,

"Listen good work in there by the way" the blonde lit up at Eames' words and he smiled,

"Do you want to grab dinner or something?" she asked and Eames once again reflected on how his world was in complete disarray. He sighed shaking his head and he watched her smile slip from her lips as she closed the silver case with a loud click.

"I'm sorry Claire, I would love to perhaps another time, right now I have to find Arthur" he explained not bothering to hide his words or intentions,

"What happened with him?" she asked bluntly turning on her heels but Eames shook his head and she nodded giving in easily, it wasn't the first time she'd questioned the cold point mans behaviour.

"Okay well I'll see you around Eames" she moved from the room her hips swinging and Eames shook his head before fishing his phone from his pocket moving out of the room and heading in the opposite direction without so much as a glance to the sleeping mark behind him.

"Arthur, where are you? Please don't do anything stupid. Call me back" the message was short and to the point yet he knew that it was unlikely Arthur would even listen to the message. He tried several more times before reaching the car he had parked in the back of the lot several hours earlier.

There was no point looking for him that he knew. He'd been there before.

"Hey, have you heard anything?" it was seven hours later that Eames' phone rang and the forger had it at his ear within seconds. He sighed as Cobbs voice filled his ear,

"No not yet. I was about to head out"

"Let me know if...when you find him" Cobb asked and Eames could hear James yelling his hello in the background.

"Will do"

* * *

He did find him. Fifteen hours later Eames entered the building that was still lit up, still wide awake at three in the morning. He made the familiar trek past the desk noting the familiar receptionists. Down the carpeted hall with bland white walls. He hit the button for the sixth floor without much thought and once he had stepped out into the corridor he could only wish it wasn't so familiar to him.

"Mark?" he turned at the voice and smiled and the woman dressed in green scrubs a pen poised over the papers in front of her.

"Hi Bec" he greeted warmly,

"Matthew been in tonight?" he asked and she nodded a small sad smile on her lips.

"He looks like he's had a rough night, been here for about an hour" Eames thanked her before turning away from the desk and heading several doors down. He leaned against the doorframe shaking his head as he took in the man in the chair beside the bed. 'Matthew' had obviously heard him coming and turned just slightly until he recognised Eames.

"Jesus Arthur" Eames groaned as he took in the man's split lip and the bruise that was darkening over his jaw. His jacket was ripped laying over the foot of the bed and his hair was messed. Eames moved into the room closing the door behind him. Silence settled over them for several moments as Eames allowed himself to relax realising that Arthur was alive and well before him, before he spoke,

"You find anything?" Eames waited, watching as Arthur leaned back in the chair his thumb sweeping over the back of the hand he held within his own. Eames' gaze moved up the pale arm until his eyes found the face of the young woman lying still in the bed. She looked the same as she had the last time he'd visited the room and he hated that fact with everything he had.

"False lead" the point man muttered not looking up yet pulling Eames from his thoughts.

"Arthur you can't keep doing thi-" he stopped as Arthur held up his hand, the one that was not tangled with hers. He thought about continuing for a moment but instead moved around the opposite side of the bed from Arthur.

"Hello Darling" he whispered leaning forward to drop a kiss on Ariadnes' forehead. It was cool and clammy and he wished that she would swat him away. He wished that her eyes would open in annoyance glaring fire at him, or sparkle with laughter. He wished that she would scold him, calling him William as she had since learning his name with childish delight. It had been too long, way too long. Yet after everything she'd been through, she and Arthur, he couldn't help but think that maybe she was better off, sleeping, away creating what he was sure was a glorious, perfect, untouchable world in her dreams.

* * *

**Hi guys, **

**So I started an inception story and now I'm going to start another because my mind just can't sit still. Hope you like this chapter, I know it gives nothing away but more to come very soon!**

**Thanks **


	2. Chapter 2

**Fall Apart Today**

**Chapter 2**

Dominic Cobb pushed the back door open feeling the warm air sweep into the house. He smiled hearing the laughter of his children and his eyes quickly found Phillipa dancing out of James' reach who was chasing after his sister, arms outstretched. Both of them laughing.

His smile faltered as he moved across the deck and sat down next to the other man who sat on the edge. Arthur nodded his thanks as Cobb passed him a beer. The retired extractor/architect watched Arthur's eyes dart upwards as James' laughter rang out filling the air.

"I'm sor-"

"Don't be" Arthur interrupted and Cobb only nodded lowering his body to sit beside his friend.

"How is she going?" he asked and Arthur shrugged,

"No change really" he said quietly. Dom nodded and allowed the silence to settle over them. Silence of course that was short lived with his two energetic children around,

"UNCLE ARTHUR, UNCLE ARTHUR" Dom watched a smile grow on Arthur's lips yet he could see that it wasn't close to reaching his eyes. Yet Uncle Arthur set his drink down on the deck before letting Philipa pull him from his seat and into the garden. He watched the point man point his daughter in one direction while he rounded the other corner and moments later reappear with an upside down James screaming with laughter. The tears rolled down James' flushed cheeks as Arthurs nimble fingers found every ticklish spot. Laughter from behind him startled Dom a moment later when Arthur swept the giggling Philippa into his arms only to give her the same treatment.

Eames sat down beside him a moment later and Dom nodded his greeting,

"How was England?"

"Cold, how's Arthur been?" he knew that the man of their conversation would kill them if he could hear them but he could only shrug,

"Okay" there wasn't much to tell. He still visited the hospital every night. He still was a different man than the friend that he'd spent many years beside.

"I stopped in to visit Ari, the kids been in then?" Eames asked a fondness in his voice and Dom nodded,

"We went in with Arthur yesterday. They hadn't been in a while, Pippa re-wallpapered the walls as you saw I'm sure" Eames grinned thinking about the child's drawings that left barely an inch square of the white wall in Ariadne's hospital room.

"She'll love it when she wakes up" Eames said. He didn't say how a voice somewhere in the back of his mind made him ask _if_ she would wake up. He ignored the voice, not entertaining the thought for longer than he had to.

"I don't know how he can be here" Dom voiced quietly looking out on the backyard. The sentiment had been shared between them before and Eames nodded.

* * *

It was after dinner that night, after Arthur had informed Eames of the job that he was taking in a couple days.

"Come on Arthur I just got back. Can't we wait for after the weekend at least" he complained pulling a crayon from under the couch cushion.

"They don't particularly need a forger Eames" Arthur responded simply. And yet they would have one. It was common knowledge now that if someone wanted Arthur Maitland on a job, they would have William Eames as well. The point man had put up a fight at first and was quickly confronted with Eames at his most annoying and most infuriating,

"_ARTHUR YOU ARE NOT GOING TO RUSSIA" the forger yelled. They were in Eames' newly purchased apartment and Arthur was moving around the spare room packing a bag. _

"_For two days, in and out job"_

"_You're going to get yourself killed" Eames stated, standing tall in the door frame with the intent of not moving until Arthur had let his latest idea go,_

"_I can take care of myself thank you Mr. Eames" his tone was stoic and words were laced with anger, _

"_Arthur will you listen to yourself you can't-"_

"_EAMES WILL YOU BACK THE FUCK OFF" it was rare Arthur lost his cool and for a moment he stopped, startled with the anger brewing. But there was no way he was about to let the younger man out the door. And so he hit back with just as much force. _

"_And what about Ariadne?" his words were quiet yet they'd had a much larger effect than the words Arthur had roared out in anger,_

"_What happens when she wakes up and you're not here, you said you wouldn't go anywh-" but once again he was cut off,_

"_Wakes up, wakes up IT'S BEEN FIVE MONTHS EAMES. I am going I don't need you to tell me where I can go and who I can trust" _

"_WHO YOU CAN TRUST ARTHUR YOU CAN'T TRUST ANYONE. YOU THOUGHT YOU COULD, YOU THOUGHT YOU WERE OUT AND LOOK WHAT HAPPENED, LOOK WHAT HAPPENED ARTHUR"_

_In the end Eames had ended up tailing him, politely ignoring the throbbing of his jaw – a result of refusing to move out of an angry point mans way. Arthur, had of course known. Hell he'd known since he watched Eames' car following his own to the airport. He'd then followed him through the airport, and much to Arthur's surprise had followed him, a few passengers away, onto the plane. _

And like the first job Arthur had worked in over three years, everyone he had worked since had been alongside Eames, whether he'd wanted to or so that night Eames had simply thrown an irritated glare towards Arthur who sat calmly, feathers unruffled, before he stalked into the kitchen to get another beer.

"At least it's not Russia this time"

* * *

**Hey guys sorry it's been so long. I'm hoping to get another chapter up tonight but if you could throw me a quick review with some feedback that would be really handy as I'm wondering how this is coming across?**

**Thanks !**


	3. Chapter 3

**Fall Apart Today**

**Chapter 3**

Cobb slowly walked out of his office unable to stop the smile sliding onto his face at the sound of his children's laughter filtering in from down the hall. Even after so many years he couldn't believe he was back. He could still recall the desperation, the hopelessness when he'd been treading the globe for a way to get back to them. With Arthur of course. Every step of the way the young man had been by his side, carefully taking every step he had, pushing him back into the right direction when he'd needed it, pushing him further or holding him back when it was right. The ex-extractor wondered where he'd be had it not been for his best friend. What if Arthur hadn't been there? A large part of him doubted if he would have been able to see his children's faces again quite so soon. He owed it all to the man.

Dom pushed the back door open walking out onto the decking allowing the pleasant air to swirl around him and leant on the rusting railing sighing quietly, the sound getting lost in the wind. His thoughts wandered to the pair that were somewhere downtown holed up in a dodgy hotel room infiltrating someone's mind. He wondered how Arthur was fairing. He'd spoken to Eames the previous night who'd informed him in a grave voice that the extractor wouldn't stop badgering them about 'the architect that had always worked with them before'. Dom had winced even though he knew that the question would have come up eventually, if it hadn't already. Arthur and Ariadne had been widely known, almost always working alongside each other – and Eames, and often Yusuf, and almost never walking away without success. Then things had stopped suddenly, they'd disappeared, or so it seemed, and at the same exact time. It was without difficulty for the dreaming world to put it down as the young pair desiring to have a life together. While the two may have been the epitome of professionalism through every job there was no mistaking their feelings. That and Eames liked to talk. And while Arthur mainly kept to himself –with few exceptions Ariadne did not. She made friends easily in the business, more than she had acquaintances – heeding nothing of Arthur and Eames' warnings of the more unsavoury characters of extraction - and because of it many had witnessed the wedding that had been hers and Arthurs. And so it was therefore a subject of great interest when Arthur had suddenly appeared once again, working, and yet there was no sign of Ariadne. And no answers.

He'd thought back on Eames' next statement, another plea for Cobb to try once more to have Arthur stop working. It was an empty question, as both Dom and Eames knew even as it spilled from the latters lips. They'd tried, both of them, along with Yusuf, his wife and Miles to dissuade Arthur to stop working. Dom knew he shouldn't have been – but who was he to judge, never the less say anything. But he had been there through everything that had taken place. He had watched the team, his family, fall and crumble and then build themselves back up only for them to be struck down all over again. They had been through hell over the last twelve months and now they were left broken and empty. And yet Arthur went back to work – back to what he knew, and Dom had more than a few reasons as to why his best friend had done so even if others couldn't understand. But the point man had returned, and he was still the best. But he was also different. Nothing was the same.

His thoughts were silenced as a small hand slid into his own and a moment later he scooped his daughter up from the ground accepting the abnormally large cookie that she held in her hand for him.

**InceptionCobbInceptionYusufI nceptionAriadneInceptionInce ptionInceptionEamesInception ArthurInceptionMilesI**

Eames' fist made contact with the torn bag as it swung back towards him. He felt a wave of adrenaline rush over him as he sent a powerful strike into it. He could feel the sweat running down his bare back and could only vaguely see the others scattered around the old Arthur had led them to the day before. His head was pulsing loudly and painfully but he couldn't stop, he needed to get the stress out, the worry, the anger and anxiousness. With another strike he heard the bag tear slightly more at the top where it was joined to the ceiling. He'd been all too glad when he'd spied it on arrival that morning. Having consumed too much coffee, studying their latest mark overnight, he'd felt jittery enough – too much energy making him tense all morning. Their extractor had passed by him once asking him where he was up to with the mark and Eames had certainly not missed the subtle 'get the hell back to work' but paid it no notice, quickly dismissing him with a bunch of things about their mark he'd learned the night before. After he'd snapped at their architect who'd perched on a chair several hours later to make small chat nobody bothered him – realising his foul mood. It was several hours later though when the sound of glass shattering on the concrete floor bounced off the walls did he stop and turn – and internally curse. Their extractor, Antonio, had called his name, but his focus had already been on the source. His stomach had plummeted as panic began to take over. He somehow forced his legs to move, though they felt like lead, and crossed the warehouse until he stood only metres from the point man.

He stood glass shards littering the floor around his feet with his phone clenched in one hand. He swayed for a moment and his other hand clenched around the edge of his desk, Eames froze in his step, for some reason not wanting to get closer. But it was Arthur's expression that sent a chilling jolt down his spine. But all of it had nothing on the words that were finally choked from Arthur's throat.

**InceptionCobbInceptionYusufI nceptionAriadneInceptionInce ptionInceptionEamesInception ArthurInceptionMilesI**

Dominic Cobb sighed for the umpteenth time that afternoon as he turned the paper over flipping the pencil between his fingers. The architect had, after several years, begun to do some freelance work and had slowly made a name for himself. Along with Ariadne of course, who worked right beside him – within their private practice. They'd quickly discovered how smoothly they worked with each other and it was only her relentless pushing that the young architect strictly referred to as 'encouragement' in the beginning that had him picking up the sketch book once more. He had a lot to thank the woman for.

Yet like everything else around, business had suffered badly. Her absence caused great changes within the business and Dom supposed he hadn't really been focused on it either. But he also knew that the woman had never wanted to see it fail. They'd built incredible things, real things. Real, touchable building that people lived, studied and worked in. Hell they'd built building that people celebrate in and study in. And Dom smiled fondly recalling her excitement that bloomed with every project that came to life. She'd make them have lunch somewhere close by every day and visit the site her satisfied grin indestructible. Well – at least until it hadn't been.

He'd hired other architects to cover work when she'd stopped working – and he practically had as well. When everything fell apart. Yet they'd lost plenty of work. When he'd run out of things to do to help, to bring any sort of comfort and hope to Arthur and Ariadne. When he'd run out of practical things to do he'd gone back. Dived into his work – their work and vowed to keep it alive. For her. And yet he'd do anything and more if everything could just go back to the way it had been.

As the papers, scrunched up, discarded and thrown away began to pile up around him, he grew more and more frustrated. Saved, however, by his phone letting out a shrill ring, he leant back in his chair fishing the object from his pocket before raising it to his ear. He froze when his eyes caught the name on the screen and his chest tightened. He knew he shouldn't be ringing during the day. He knew it meant something.

Dom could feel the panic building inside of him and he paused not wanting to hear the voice on the other end of the phone. Not wanting to hear anything come from the forger because he was expecting the worst. They all were. And after this long no one could blame him, could blame anyone. They had tried to keep their hope alive, to keep positive but even Ariadne had always been their undying source of optimism who often complained of the cynicism and scepticism she was surrounded with. Knowing the phone would stop ringing shortly he jammed his shaking thumb onto the buttons and raised it to his hear his heart thundering,

"Eames" there was heavy silence for a moment before the man cleared his throat to speak.

**InceptionCobbInceptionYusufI nceptionAriadneInceptionInce ptionInceptionEamesInception ArthurInceptionMilesI**

Arthur flipped through the pages and photographs quickly. His eyes flickered over the pages with great speed, searching for something he'd missed, something he'd not yet put together. Everything was set, he knew it and apparently Eames who was wasting time beating the pulp out of the bag in the corner knew it too. It was only several hours to the job though and he wanted to make certain that it would run smoothly he couldn't afford unexpected right now. He began to run his level through his mind again remembering each feature and grimaced remembering the suggestions he'd made to the large room. They were undoubtedly Ariadne and he wished he'd kept his mouth shut. The architect had been delighted though – thanking him before making the changes. Ariadne had definitely rubbed off on him and he knew far more about architecture of a dream that he needed to.

The point man ran a shaky hand over his head as he forced his shoulders to relax forcing his thoughts away from her. Not that it was really possible. She owned his thoughts each and every minute. Arthur's eyes slid closed allowing the darkness to soothe his aching head and pulsing temples. But not a moment later he straightened once again and pulled another folder towards him harshly flicking it open. Once he'd closed the back cover he moved to the next and then the next. He couldn't stop, when he stopped he thought and when he thought he felt. And he didn't want to feel the feeling that thinking brought on. He couldn't afford to feel, he was sick of feeling like this, so he didn't – which meant he couldn't' think, which meant he couldn't stop. So he continued siphoning through papers for something he'd missed, something that he knew, in some deep, logical part of his mind that he would never find. But he didn't stop.

Fifteen minutes later though an unsettling feeling built and built until his limbed ached and trembled slightly and Arthur took a shuddering breath pushing the pages away. He let his pen drop onto the wood before he turned and stalked form the room to the toilets. The door closed loudly behind him but he didn't care as he shook his hands that had begun to tingle slightly. He racked his brain for something to think of, but nothing worked, he could only see her, them. He fumbled slightly as he reached for his die at the bottom of his pocket. He rolled it for the forth time a minute later his eyes not leaving the small dots that stared up at him. He pulled a glass that sat on the shelf above the sink and filled it with water taking a long sip. Several minutes later he moved from the room glass in hand and cursed himself as he almost jumped when his phone rang from his pocket and a shoot of panic erupted with him as it did every time his phone received a call. When he glanced at the screen he stopped mid-step. Noise was muted and everything was blurred – everything except the familiar number that was on his phones screen. His whole body turned to ice for a moment and in the next second a wave of powerful nausea consumed his body. Somehow he managed to raise the phone to his ear.

"Matthew Lane" he said and his steady voice surprised him. When the familiar woman on the other end of the phone spoke he felt all the blood drain from his face. Once he'd hung up he saw the ground move beneath him. It wasn't until two familiar feet made their way into his vision that he seemed to snap out of it. He reached for the desk to steady himself and hardly saw Eames until the man took another step towards him.

"Arthur" he couldn't focus though, all he could do was try and force himself to breathe. He had been waiting for this day for months and months on end. It had been eating away at him, slowly destroying him and finally it was here.

"Arthur" Eames' voice was louder this time and in response Arthur's gaze snapped up to his friends' concerned face,

"What happened?" he asked and this time Arthur could hear the panic in the forgers voice. He knew what he must be thinking, what must have been running through his head. He knew that Eames was thinking that it was all over. After all this time it had happened. But it hadn't and Arthur only just heard his own voice as he answered the forger,

"Ariadne's awake"

**Hey guys hope you like it, sorry it's been a while**

**Please send me a quick Review!**

**Thanks xx**


	4. Chapter 4

**Fall Apart Today**

**Chapter 4**

It was the first time, the very first time that Arthur, point man extraordinaire, had ever walked out on a job. Ever. And Eames who'd followed right behind him wouldn't have hesitated betting that Arthur never would. And yet forty minutes later Arthur pulled up the curb abruptly and the two men wasted no time in climbing out the car and abandoning it on the sidewalk ignoring the security guards, who no doubt recognised them, as they all but ran towards the entrance of the hospital. Eames felt his heart hammering as he walked alongside Arthur and bounced on his heels as they stood at the elevator doors the point man jamming his finger repeatedly on the button bypassing the receptionists who barely blinked an eye. Like the security guards they recognised the two men who had been coming and going as they pleased for seven months. Both men cursed the elevators snail like speed as it slowly climbed up the floors leaving them to wait, suffocated by their own thoughts, frozen by their own memories and concerns. She was awake. After all this time. The ding startled both of them and they dragged themselves back into reality as they stepped out into the familiar intensive care unit and headed for the reception desk. Before they could, however, a voice from behind them stopped the point man and the forger in their tracks,

"Matthew!" the spun around only to met with a graying man who was Ariadne's doctor smiling towards them from where he stood by the doors. It was a stark change to see his face transformed instead of his normal solemn, grim expression that greeted them. Once the two men were in front of him he continued,

"Honestly I never thought this would happen" he said before ushering them through the doors that swung open with a swipe of his care before leading them into a nearby office.

"How did this happen Nick?" Arthur asked quietly, his voice terse, of the doctor. It was a long time since they'd been of first name basis – even if Arthur's name wasn't the one he usually went by.

"Unfortunately that isn't something I can answer with any degree of certainty" Nick replied remorsefully and Eames' struggled to stop his eyes from flitting into each of the patient rooms as he tried to do every time he visited Ariadne. Seeing the other patients with the same sickly coloured skin as Ariadne, hearing the horrid chorus of beeping machines; he forced himself to focus on the doctors words,

"She's asleep again now so you can see her in a minute" Nick said as he caught their hesitance to wait, their eyes flicking to the door at the end of the corridor,

"Asleep?" Eames asked his forehead creasing and Nick nodded before explaining,

"She's been in a coma for almost seven months it's going to take a good while for Ariadne to adjust to being awake for long periods of time" Eames nodded knowing the words made perfect sense, but hadn't they just told them she was awake.

"But she was awake, you're sure?" Arthur asked and Eames caught the guarded tone of Arthur's voice. Waiting to be let down, waiting to hear more bad news, to realise that none of it is real, that's it's just the universe beating him again. Eames looked towards the doctor not daring to believe it either, not until they saw her, awake, with their own eyes. It was, after all, difficult to imagine. Nick offered a small smile of understanding,

"Yes, Bec and I were in there doing a normal set of obs. It was when I checked for any muscular tension that she moved her fingers. She was awake for several minutes and while she wasn't fluid she responded well enough for someone who has been in a coma for this long"

"So what now, I mean what happens now?" Eames asked as Arthur took a long breath digesting the words,

"She stats right where she is. We've got a lot of work to do. She's going to need a high amount of care for a while and before anything we need to get a better understanding of how she is cognitively before we make any plans"

"You talked about…." The doctor frowned in confusion as Arthur trailed off and Eames waited, looking towards Arthur who cleared his throat and loosened his collard before continuing,

"You talked about brain damage before?" Arthur said quietly, reminding him and the doctor nodded before sighing,

"I did yes and I'm sorry to say that I can't rule anything out yet. She will need to be tested when she's awake once more" Arthur nodded and Nick smiled reassuringly,

"Would you like to see her" Arthur nodded once more. He needed to see her, he needed to make sure that it was true, that this wasn't just some cruel joke being played on him. The familiar beeping of a pager cut through his thoughts and Nick sighed in frustration as he looked down at it.

"I have to answer this, head up there and just knock. Bec's in there at the moment she hasn't left since she woke the first time. I'll be back shortly" Arthur and Eames nodded and the former thanked the doctor before they headed for the door in silence their eyes settling on the familiar door at the very end of the corridor. It was only when they stood outside that Arthur felt a heavy hand lay on his shoulder.

"You go in and check with Bec, make sure everything's alright. I'll wait here for a second, Cobb and Miles will be here soon anyway" Arthur nodded at the forgers words almost mechanically as he stared at the door. A moment later he sucked in a deep breath of air and pushed the door open before walking in. Three steps later he froze mid step.

"Matthew" he swiveled around to see a woman in scrubs coming out of the bathroom with a handful of towels,

"Bec" he managed to choke out and even he didn't recognise his own voice. Without waiting for a reply he turned back to the woman lying on the bed. He didn't understand, they said she was awake. But nothing had changed, she looked identical to the last time he'd seen her. Shouldn't something, anything have been different,

"Bec, wh…."

"She's been in a coma for almost seven months Matt she won't be awake for long at the moment" Arthur nodded recalling the doctor saying the same thing only moments ago,

"But she was definitely awake" she added with a smile and he nodded before finding the chair that hadn't been moved from beside the bed sinking into it. He was silent for several minutes his eyes sweeping up and down Ariadne's motionless body,

"I just thought….I thought I'd see something different you know. I thought something here would be different" the nurse nodded at Arthurs words.

"I know, and it will be I promise. The tube will be out soon enough, probably the next time she wakes up" Arthur nodded knowing that he would be more than thankful to see the ugly plastic tube that had been placed into her throat taken away,

"You going to stay with her while I go grab her chart" Bec asked with a smile and he returned a small one before nodding,

"You can still hold her hand Matt, talk to her. She might need it just as much now as before" Arthur nodded and he felt his hand move towards Ariadne's and he threaded his fingers with hers. Bec nodded and smiled before turning around and all Arthur heard was the quiet click of the door. The nurse pulled the stethoscope from around her neck before sighing feeling her emotions roll off her shoulders. It was only then that she noticed another familiar man sitting in the hall,

"Mark" she greeted him with a small smile,

"Heya Bec"

"You're welcome to go in if you like" she offered but Eames shook his head,

"Thought I'd give Matt a few minutes first" she nodded before giving his shoulder a squeeze as she took in the pained expression that contorted his handsome features. She looked up hearing the doors swing open and smiled gently as she took into two more men heading towards them,

Eames stood once he saw them as well,

"I'll be back in a few minutes" she said before moving towards the desk to find her patients file. Eames nodded throwing a thankful smile towards Bec before turning to Cobb and Miles who were striding towards him with almost panicked expressions,

"How is she? Is Arthur in there? Have you spoken to her? Is there any damage?" Eames had trouble working out which questions were coming from who and raised a hand to rub his temples as the other two quietened,

" Arthur's in there, she was asleep again by the time we got here, they still don't know anything until she wakes up again" he explained and Cobb let out a long sigh before slumping down in one of the chairs. Miles and Eames followed suit,

"At least she's awake" Miles commented and the ex-extractor and forger nodded in agreement,

"I thought…." Eames began a moment later but couldn't finish. He had thought the worst. He had thought that the news that Arthur had been about to break to him had been the unthinkable words that they had all on some level been waiting to hear. It was cruel, nightmarishly cruel, as if someone was playing with them, toying with them. As if they were dangling her in front of the them, making them sweat and they were waiting for her to slip away. For someone to steal her away from them.

Doctor after doctor, nurse after nurse had told them of the slim chance their girl had. From day one they had heard that she had little chance of making it. That they had little chance of keeping her, of seeing her again. A small smile grew on his lips and he rejoiced in the feeling realising that he hadn't smiled at Ariadne, because of Ariadne for so long. For too long. It was high time for it happen again. Cobb nodded understandingly and the three of them knew that they didn't need to say anymore. They had all grown closer since everything had happened. Since everything had started. Since everything had changed among them. Since Arthur and Ariadne had changed and their world had exploded, shattering their lives and stealing everything that they had known with it.

**Merry Christmas everyone! Hope you had a lovely holiday and that you enjoyed this chapter! I know this is short and kind of filler ish but more is coming I promise!**

**Please leave a quick review! : )**


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